Church's Stance on Islam

[o_senhor_falado]

I was recently reading through the catechism and came across the section on the church’s relationship to muslims. It quotes Lumen Gentium: “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind.”

I understand that this passage is merely pointing out that Muslims should be commended for acknowledging the Creator, but since when do Catholics believe that Christians and Muslims worship the same God? I’m quite unsettled by the Church’s apparent “softness” toward Islam, but I suppose from a practical viewpoint, the Church wants to mitigate historical tensions between the two religions; however, how can we not call out Islam for what it is, a religion centered on violent conquest that is at odds with Western civilization?

 

[1ke]

since when do Catholics believe that Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

since forever.

The Jews, Muslims, and Christians all worship the God of Abraham. The Muslims are mistaken about him and have been told untruths about Him. So are the Jews when it comes down to it, since they too deny the Trinity.

But they honestly worship the God of Abraham.

I’m quite unsettled by the Church’s apparent “softness” toward Islam,

It is not softness, it is simply stating a fact. I am not sure why you are unsettled by a fact.

how can we not call out Islam for what it is, a religion centered on violent conquest that is at odds with Western civilization?

That is not the topic at hand. The Catechism and Lumen Gentium are focused on God’s plan of salvation.

Not geopolitics.

 

[MrSnaith]

What 1ke said.

 

[Genesis315]

The context in Lumen Gentium and the CCC is pointing out how all men are included in the plan of salvation, and how the good or true things in other religions can serve as seeds of the Gospel.

The idea that Muslims acknowledge the one Creator is rooted in the Church’s philosophical tradition concerning how God can be known without access to His true revelation. The Church and Scripture teach that God can be known without access to revelation and that one can come to acknowledge Him as the source and principle of all things, but the persons of the Trinity can only be acknowledged by accepting revelation in faith.

The virtue of religion, acknowledging the one God as Creater of all, is a natural virtue that falls under the demands of justice. Believing His revelation with faith is a supernatural theological virtue. Muslims clearly acknowledge the one God and Creator of the universe, even if they do not receive His revelation with faith. They acknowledge one God, completely self-dependant and self-actualized, on which all else is contingent–ie a God for whom essence and existence are the same. This can only describe the one God.

Apart from the above, little can be said accurately about Islam as a whole–it lacks a unified authority, and like Protestantism, varies greatly from group to group. The Church has, however, condemned the evil acts that are committed by some members of that religion as well as members of any religion.

 

[CarolNoel]

What 1ke said.

Me too.